Dear Boston Red Sox

Are you effing kidding me with this? Losing 2 out of 3 to the Blue Jays after dropping 2 out of 3 to the Yankees and the lead's now down to two and a half games and HELLO?!? ANYBODY HOME????

Yes, I've officially hit the panic button. This is crazy. At one point this team had a FOURTEEN AND A HALF GAME LEAD. True, the Yankees were a totally different team at the time, and have since gelled fantastically, and bully for them, but we also cannot ignore that this Red Sox team has been a bunch of alarming underachievers for what is now a large chunk of this season.

Listen, Red Sox. This whole, "My head wasn't in the game" thing? This whole lack of urgency? Not gonna fly. This fan base has had its heart set on a division title for a freakin' decade now, and despite a World Series championship, no Red Sox team has done it. Kind of sucks when the people in the stands seem to have more of a sense of the importance of this race than the guys on the field. 

You know what? I honestly don't know how far this team's going to get into the playoffs. And right now, I don't care. Right now, the point I want proven in this season is for the Red Sox to finally, FINALLY win the stupid AL East. That's all I care about--that this new and improved 21st century Red Sox team shows that it can actually create and maintain a lead in the division throughout a season. After that, it's all gravy.

Apparently, that is too much to freakin' ask.

Guys. You are better than this. You are better than losing series to teams that have spent the year behind you in the division. You are better than "My head wasn't in the game." You are a better team than the Yankees this year. Why don't you try and act like it?

P.S. I swear I still wanted to write about the games on Sunday but I am WAY TOO AGGRAVATED right now, plus, you know, life. But I want to note the one-line summary of this week that I just came across at the inimitable Papel-Blog: "Rooting for the Red Sox: it's like being in a clinical trial where you don't know you're being constantly taken on and off antidepressants."

Truer words have never been spoken. One of the themes of this hypothetical post that I keep promising to write was going to be that roller coaster. It's amazing the depths of certain doom and cocky, assured victory I've been at with this team this year, and over the last month. What it all boils down to, I think, is that this is a good team with the potential to be great. But the games aren't going to play themselves, and like Bill Lee said, "unfortunately, they play on grass." I think the on / off antidepressants feeling comes from the fact that given this team's makeup, whenever they play a good to great game, it's easy to feel they're finally going on the insane tear we've all been waiting for. When they lose, however, their inconsistency this year immediately springs to mind, along with the very real possibility that they could have all the ingredients but still no cake, to quote a phrase.

In short, will the real Red Sox please stand up?

Comments

[Iain]

Right now, the point I want proven in this season is for the Red Sox to finally, FINALLY win the stupid AL East.

Totally with you on this. It's like "Just win the damn division! How hard can it be?"

The answer, apparently, is "Harder than we thought".

[27in2K7]

How cute, u pansies r gettin to right where u belong...SECOND PLACE. ahahahahahahah
P.S: We(the Yankees) have the perfect possible storybook ending...Angels in ALDS, Redsox in ALCS n Mets in the world series...PERRRRRRRRFECT. Life is good in New York...c u in the ALCS, if u get there that is

[beth]

well, life's great in new york except for mets, jets and giants fans. that and the fact that the yankees are still at least technically in second place.

have a blast gloating before anything's even been decided yet, 27. though that does have a way of making people look like jackasses at a later date.

[KLN]

I've been saying all season, I just want to win the freaking Division.

We'll deal with the playoffs later, just throw us a bone, please guys.

[maxwell horse]

Just like Beth is having trouble finding the time/motivation to compose lengthy and meaningful blog posts, I am having a hard time finding the gumption to post a meaningful comment. All I can think to say right now is: Terry Francona is poopy.